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$100 an hour historically. I'm thinking about going up or setting a $250 minimum. Swarms are another story. I ask for gas money if they sound desparate to get rid of them or if they are more than a few miles away. Otherwise, easy swarms are free.

Well a near by swarm I can see doing it for free since it is free bees. It is in a wall of a house or attic that is really what I am looking for. Do you have any trouble after you told the homeowner you are going to cut his wall open and are done with the job. Do you get a signed contract and when do you ask for the money?

Do you get a signed contract and when do you ask for the money?

Always get a signed contract..I require money at the end of the cutout...I let my wife collect, they don't give her a hard time.

The contract should spell out exactly what will be done, and that you do not repair the damage, you just make it(hole)..and make sure you include any electrical damage as well, ya just never know what you will run into.

I don't do removals....... but I do overhead door
work. The same issues apply. Give the customer
a write up on what you are doing in detail and
the price before you do the work. They are happy,
no surprises.

Write the same work up after.......... same amount
of money......... they scream.

How to have (semi) flexible pricing in a professional way... I would be very seriously interested in how others have managed this.

I charge $75 an hour with a travel charge. I am not a contractor so I do not do repairs.

I often run into people who either:
-aren't able/ willing to pay this price
-are going to spray raid at the bees after I tell them my price, even though I tell them I charge 2-3 times as much to come clean up the results of their bad choice

In many cases (when I am not too busy) I would be happy or willing to do these jobs at at a reduced rate.

My question: how do you manage to adjust your rates, to get these 'customers' back but still sound totally professional?

I don't. There are far more calls than I can get around to. I always assume the bees have already been sprayed and charge accordingly.

Ditto. In my experience a good portion of them clearly have been sprayed. And YEP I charge... removals are physical, messy and dangerous, wielding power tools up on ladders and such. And the work is about half done when you get home, don't forget the care for the bees and the CLEANUP when you get home.

How to Price Removals

I'm in PA outside Philadelphia.

I charge by the hour - $75, with a two hour minimum. Thinking about upping this by $10 or $20 - what are others charging in the PA/NJ/NY area?

When I first talk to the potential customer, I let them describe the situation to me in as much detail as they can, and let them tell me if they sprayed or not. I charge $15/hr more if the bees have been sprayed.

I have been out to do removals in the past where I was assured they were honeybees, only to find yellowjackets. The prep work (empty supers, empty frames with rubber bands, etc., loading up, travel time, etc.) makes the minimum a necessity.

Last year I did not do removals as a result of moving a good distance from my hives. This year I'll be doing them again as a result of losing my job back in February.

Travel time sounds like a good idea - I sometimes get calls from people an hour or more away. What do you charge for this? An extra hour tacked onto your minimum? I advertise "free estimates," but when they're real far, I can't do this and need to figure a fair way to charge for the travel.

Oh - I have a contract that I describe to the customer before I even drive out, and I have them sign it after I've looked over the situation but before I start any actual work. It says basically three things:

1. Bees sting. I'm not liable for any stings that occur on the property.
2. Accidental damage may occur - I'm not liable for accidental damage.
3. The Homeowner is responsible for any repairs that may be necessary.

For cutouts, I charge $100.00 per hour with a 2 hr minimum for the time to access the bees and remove them. I do not charge for the time waiting around for them to cluster back up. If it is more than a 25 or 30 mile round trip, I charge $0.50 per mile for travel time. If the colony is in an object that I can just screen off and take with me I usually charge 1/2 the minimum ($100.00) depending on how easy it is to screen them off and load them up.

If the owner has some materials available (insulation, sheetrock, plywood, etc.) then I will do quick simple rough repairs to get the cavity closed up. They will be responsible for any finish work (plaster repair, texture, caulking, painting, etc.).

For swarms, if they are within an hours drive, its a $75.00 service charge, even if the swarm is gone when I get there.

When folks decide that my fee is too high and they say they will just spray the bees themselves or such, I tell them good luck, I also remind them that I have no interest in helping after their failed attempt. A "You started it, you finish it" type attitude. If they tell me its been several months or more since they were sprayed, then I tell them I will evaluate the situation on site and may or may not accept the job.

I have been known to cut my fee substantially in cases of extreme need (widows on fixed income, etc.). Once in a while I have been known to trade services for items of equal value (boats, autos, etc.) as well.

$0.50 per mile, plus $100 per hour. 1 hour minimum. I did remove a swarm two days ago for the cost of fuel, and I will never do that again!

I got the bees hived, they started building comb, took off, and now all I have for the three hours it took me to drive there, hive the swarm, drive back home, and set them up is the 10 or so bees that were left in the box! I guess I'm building up the population of feral bees in the area!

I charge $100 per hr with a two hr minimum for cutouts. A helper is charged at $20 per hr. I charge 50 cents a mile for those over 10 miles from my location. Any special equipment (scaffolding for instance) is additional. $250 toxic exposure fee if they have been sprayed. Swarms are usually free unless they settle inside a difficult area for removal.

I have not yet encountered a financially stressed situation but would eliminate any cost for someone in financial difficulty.

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

I have been asking for gas money on swarms that are 30+ miles away and havent had any problems getting it. I've only done 3 cutouts, the first one was free() and I charged $150 for the next 2. It wasnt enough for the work but I had fun working bee's w/ my wife and made a couple families happy they had no bee's in their home anymore!!!! They didnt seem to have a problem w/ $150.00 either. I may start charging more just to see where I stand around here. I think I'd chg more for a trapout due to the time it takes to keep goining back and possible loss of equipment etc..

Re: How to price bee removal

Depends on a number of factors-distance-time involved-the attitude of the people requesting my services (the ruder or whiney the more it costs them) and the cooperation of the person requesting services, and for my own reasons the age of the people requesting my services the older the cheaper it is.

\"ONLY WHEN THE LAST RIVER HAS BEEN DRIED UP<br />THE LAST TREE BEEN CUT DOWN<br />THE LAST WILD FISH CAUGHT<br />WILL MAN REALIZE YOU CAN\'T EAT MONEY\"<br />GHANDI (?)